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Longo closing in on third place in All-Star voting

Longo closing in on third place in All-Star voting

6/12/13: Evan Longoria launches a solo home run to straightaway center, cutting the Red Sox's lead in half in the bottom of the sixth inning

By Bill Chastain
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MLB.com |

ST. PETERSBURG -- Evan Longoria is picking up some ground in the All-Star voting, but he still needs a lot of help from Rays fans if he's going to contend for the American League's starting third-base position in the Midsummer Classic.

While Longoria remains fourth in the voting, he is now just 207,284 votes behind the Rangers' Adrian Beltre, who currently occupies third place.

Fans can cast their votes for starters using the 2013 All-Star online ballot until Thursday, July 4, at 11:59 p.m. ET.

According to new AL voting results released on Saturday, Longoria still ranks fourth behind Detroit's Miguel Cabrera, Baltimore's Manny Machado and Beltre.

Each fan is permitted to submit 25 online ballots during the voting period, but can also earn a one-time bonus of 10 additional online ballots. To access these additional ballots, you must be logged into your MLB.com account when you submit any online ballot. If you do not have an MLB.com account, visit MLB.com and register for free in accordance with the enrollment instructions.

Fans can also participate in the Home Run Derby Fan Poll, where they can select three players in each league whom they would most like to see participate in the Home Run Derby.

The 2013 Home Run Derby -- part of Gatorade All-Star Workout Day -- will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN HD, ESPN Deportes and ESPN Radio in the United States beginning at 8 p.m. ET on Monday, July 15.

Rays manager Joe Maddon was asked this week about which of his players he thought would make the All-Star team, and he answered, "Yunel Escobar."

However, other than Longoria, no Rays players are among the leaders, which means that none rank in the top five for catcher or any of the infield positions, nor are they among the top 15 outfielders.

The fact that many Rays players field different positions could be a contributing factor to their overall lack of votes. However, this isn't the case for James Loney, who is having an All-Star season at first base. Loney is not currently among the AL leaders at first, where Baltimore's Chris Davis ranks first with 2,999,094 votes.

Though originally scheduled for July 7, the 2013 rosters will now be unveiled Saturday, July 6, at 6:30 p.m. ET on the 2013 MLB All-Star Game Selection Show presented by Taco Bell. The show will be televised nationally on FOX.

From Saturday, July 6 to Thursday, July 11, be sure to return to MLB.com and cast your 2013 All-Star Game Final Vote Sponsored by freecreditscore.com for the final player for each League's All-Star roster.

And the voting doesn't end there. Fans are also invited to participate in choosing the Ted Williams All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet. During the Midsummer Classic, fans can cast their vote exclusively online, and their voice will represent 20 percent of the official tally determining the recipient of the Arch Ward Trophy.

The 2013 All-Star Game will be played at Citi Field on Tuesday, July 16.

The 84th All-Star Game will be televised nationally by FOX Sports, in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and RDS, and worldwide by partners in more than 200 countries via MLB International's independent feed.

ESPN Radio and ESPN Radio Deportes will provide national radio coverage of the All-Star Game. MLB Network and SiriusXM also will also provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage.